African leaders are making their way to the Russian city of Sochi ahead of the Russia-Africa Summit which will focus on key areas of cooperation between Russia and African countries.
The two-day summit, which Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will co-host, is set to commence on Wednesday.
At least 40 African heads of states and leaders of regional unions and institutions are expected to take part in the summit, which is the first of its kind in the history of Russian and African relations.
The summit will be preceded by an economic forum, called the Russia-Africa Economic Forum, which the participating African leaders and representatives of Russian, African and international commercial companies will attend.
Some leaders such as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his Ugandan and South African counterparts, Yoweri Museveni and Cyril Ramaphosa, have already arrived in Sochi or are en route to the city.
The summit is expected to discuss horizons of the relations between Russia and the African countries and means of enhancing them in the political, economic and cultural fields.
Putin said Russia was prepared to offer assistance to Africa without political or other conditions and to embrace the principle of African solutions for African problems.
Putin who spoke to Russian news agency TASS also accused Western countries of resorting to pressure, intimidation and blackmail of sovereign African governments.
The summit is viewed as a way for Russia to increase its influence in Africa, which is currently dominated by the West and China.
It is believed Russia, through this summit, will be hoping to make significant progress in establishing itself as a major influencer in trade, security and politics both on the continent and globally.
